Mechanical movement



S'Z 4 I A. R. CLARK 2,381,112

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed Sept. 20, 1944 IIJIIIIIIIIIIIIII" 'movement.

The mechanical movement of the present in- .Patented Aug. 7, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v mommcstmovnmnn'r Arthur Robert Clark, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Application September 20, 1944, Serial is... 554,983

zfil'aima This invention relates to a new mechanical vention is primarily intended to produce constant rotary movement from reciprocal rectilinear movement and particularly when the latter motion is produced by leverage, as in a hand-carfor instance. The new movement is a substitute for the connecting rod.

The object of the invention is to provide a new mechanical movement whereby dead centres are eliminated in producing rotary motion from re ciprocal motion, thereby effecting a constant tary motion without enlisting'the fly-wheel or other momentum producing agents.

Thus it will be evidentv that a gear, for instance, will revolve evenly and at uniform speed under reciprocal rectilinear urge, the latter motion being effected by any means.

With the above and other obiects in ,view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention con sists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and: 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing a certain rectilineally reciprocal member at one terminal point of its stroke.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing said member in an intermediate position during its progress in an intermediate position in its return stroke.

In its present embodiment the invention consists of' a rectangular frame ll constituting a double rack, the two banks of teeth ll of which are opposed, or face each other. 7

The frame is interposed between two suitable guides having webs or other planes, andalong its range in these guides the frame. is adapted to slidingly reciprocate. During one complete stroke the frame slides on the-web I! of the lower guide I3,'and the upper bank of teeth gears with a pinion H, as in Figure 2, while during the complete return stroke it becomes elevated and slides along the web I! of the upper guide I6, and the lower bank of teeth gear with the pinion, as in Figure 3, the pinion and its shaft I! being on a fixed axis.

Thus it is evident that the differential between the width of the frame and the intervab betweenthe guide webs equals the interval between the pinion l4 and one bank of rack teeth when the opposite bank and the pinion are engaged. Pivoted to the lower rack bar of the frame to are pendent skids l8. These skids are splayed to provide broad lower surfaces, and the corners are preferably founded. The upper portions of the skids are also rounded, but on arcs described about the axes of the pivot pins 20.

Also on the lower rack bar are stopping blocks 21 disposed to one side of the skids so that one side of each is intimate with the adjacent edge of a skid when the latter are in dependent. position, as will be observed in Figures 1 and 3.

In the lower web or plane I! are recesses 22 which are spaced uniformly to the spacing of the skids II and into which the skids fall at the termini or dead centres. of the frame strokes.

In Flsure l, which shows the frame at one dead centre of its stroke, the skids are seen thus located, while it will also be observed that the profiles of the recesses substantially conform to the penetrating portions of the skids with the exception,..however, that one rim of each recess is rounded to form a mounting ramp 23.

During the stroke of the frame ill shown in progress in Figure 2, which will be termed the forward stroke, the frame as has been previously specified slides on the lower web it, while the skids l9 trail along the same web having been swung to trailing position by their movement out of the recesses iii. enforced by the forward movement of. the frame away from back dead centre. Thus during the forward stroke of the frame the skids are idle, and the upper bank of rack teeth are meshed or geared with the pinion M, finparting rotation thereto. At forward dead centre of the frame the trail- 40 ing skids fall into respective recesses and their forward edges immediately become intimate with the sides of the stops 2 l The reverse or back stroke follows, whereupon the, skids being prevented by the blocks or At the same instant of this action the frame II is shifted to an elevated level away from the I lower web and inintimacy with the upper web; In this path the frame remains during its back stroke but-at the terminus of that stroke the skids fall into respective recesses and the frame again shifts to the lower level by ravity.

At the instant of the shift of the irame-to high level the upper bank of rack teeth are demeshed with the pinion and at the same instant the lower teeth become geared. Thus it is; evident that the alternate and forward back' strokes or reciprocation of the lame or double rack imparts continuous directional movement to the pinion without preceptible pause or speed fluctuation.

Obviously the driven pinion ll may be utilized for effecting like motion to any part of a machine, apparatus or vehicle, such as an axle, and similarly the pinion driving double rack'may receive its driving forcet-rom any reciprocal device such as the lever 2, here shown as an example, tulcrumed to a' fixed member 25 and connected to the frame III by the link 26.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified. 7

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown'and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed:

.1 claim:

1. In an apparatus for. producing constant rotary movement from reciprocal rectilinear movement, a double driving rack arranged for reciprocal rectilinear movement in horizontal guide means and consisting substantially of a frame provided with upper and lower internal banks of rack teeth, said guide means including a slide for the frame and having spaced recesses,

pendent skids'pivoted to the frame aridarranged to swing in one direction from dependent position, stop means precluding swing. of the. skids in the opposite direction. from dependency, and

a driven pinion on a fixed axis between said said skids being received in said recesses at the terminationof each stroke of the frame.

2.-Thedevice defined in claim lwherein'the in mounting to the slide.

ARTHUR ROBERT CLARK. 

